He hasn’t spent decades in public office, but he’s prepared, ready and eager to help Connecticut turn the page from an era of dysfunctional government.

He is challenging state Sen. Toni Boucher, first elected to the Senate in 2008. Boucher, a 68-year-old Republican, previously served six terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives.

Haskell worked for the Democratic National Committee, where he analyzed state legislation and fought to protect the right to vote.

He also interned with Hillary for America and the Capitol Hill offices of Congressman Jim Himes and Senator Chris Murphy. In Washington, Haskell assisted the Community Tax Aid program by lending a hand to low-income residents as they filed their taxes.

Haskell helped launch the Free Speech Project, an academic endeavour based at Georgetown and dedicated to monitoring and protecting the freedom of expression. In Connecticut, he aided the Office of the Public Defender, helping low-income defendants navigate the criminal justice system.

Growing up in the 26th District, Haskell said he was surrounded by the "incredible artists and visionaries who make our community remarkable."

In high school, Haskell said he spoke up to fight cyber bullying. This is where the Democrat first learned that the strongest way to safeguard democracy "is to make our democracy more accessible."

Haskell has criticized his opponent, Boucher, for her vote against the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Boucher joined 13 other Republican state senators in opposing the bill, which ultimately passed.

“America's electoral college is a constitutional relic. Because of it, Connecticut and other non-swing states are left out of the national conversation during presidential campaigns,” Haskell said.

The compact is an agreement between U.S. states to jointly cast their electoral college votes for the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote. The compact has been passed in 10 states and the District of Columbia.